Landscape influences and management countermeasures of ginseng planting near Changbai mountain nature reserve

Ginseng planting in Northeast China brings economic benefits but affects forest landscape integrity and native ecological processes. In order to quantify the impacts of ginseng planting on the forest landscape, Fusong County in Jilin Province was selected as a study area. The number and distribution of ginseng fields over different time was quantified based on remote sensing and ground surveys. Grid analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to study the impacts of ginseng planting on the landscape. The results showed that altitudes and slopes of ginseng fields increased and became increasingly scattered and smaller closer to the Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve. Ginseng fields and abandoned fields increased total patches and total area of the local forested landscape, and shared edge lengths between ginseng fields and forests, resulting in continuous fragmentation of the landscape. Although the total area of existing and abandoned ginseng fields accounts for a small fraction of the total landscape, their negative impacts on ecosystem conservation is significant. The local government needs to rationally plan ginseng planting, scientifically implement the restoration of abandoned ginseng lands, and enhance awareness of ginseng farmers to environmental stewardship. Our study has important significance for maintaining the healthy and stable development of the local ginseng industry and for improving the quality of regional ecological environment.